Boeing 787 Takes Off For Two-Hour Test Flight

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner took to the sky Monday (March 25th) in the first of two flights designed to help show that the new lithium-ion battery system meets regulatory safety standards.

The flight took off at approximately 12:00am PST (8:00am GMT) from Paine Field in Everett, Washington on a two-hour flight designed to show that systems are functioning normally. The global fleet of 50 Dreamliners has been grounded since January after batteries overheated on two separate aircraft.

Once data from the flight have been analysed, Boeing said it would prepare for a ground and flight demonstration aimed at certifying the company's proposed changes to the battery system, a key step toward getting permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to resume flights of the grounded plane.

The National Transportation Safety Board on Monday (March 25th) said it would hold a two-day forum April 11-12th to examine the design and performance of lithium-ion batteries in transportation -- a review sparked by the Dreamliner battery failures.

The public forum will examine the design and development of various lithium-ion batteries, how their use and manufacturing are regulated, and the use and safety of such batteries in various modes of transportation.

The Federal Aviation Administration grounded all 50 Boeing 787s in use worldwide in January after failures of two batteries on two separate aircraft - one parked at the Boston airport, and the other forced to make an emergency landing in Japan.